Fear and Parenting in Las Vegas

but it probably would have been crowded and I don’t like to share my shrimp.

Here’s a quick recap of our Oahu trip last month.

Nancy and Steve’s Aloha Adventure (follow the link)

(Music: “This is the Life” by Kolohe Kai)

CecilyK over at Uppercase Woman asked in her recent post, What am I looking forward to most this summer?

Rather than blather on in her comment box, she inspired me to post about it (Cecily’s cool like that, yo).

So, this summer, I’m looking forward to…

1. Popsicles in patio kiddie pools.

2. Swimming until our fingers wrinkle.

3. Disney fireworks.

4. Hawaiian luaus.

5. A new furry friend.

6. Sleepy road trips.

7. Moving to bigger digs.

8. Silly faces.

9. Long shoreline walks.

10. A boy and his blocks.

11. Hanging out with the best big brother.

12. Trading tap shoes for pom poms.

13. Field trips.

14. Old friends.

15. New beginnings.

So, what are you most excited about this summer?

I’m sitting here on a Sunday night, fretting about the week ahead. A week the kids will spend primarily with their dad. A week that is already filled with a million things I need to do, things I like to do. My anxiety is a starting to reach the highest peaks.

I’ve tried breathing. I’ve tried sleep. I’ve tried cutting back on my caffeine and eating better.

But the truth of the matter is that the only way to peace of mind is by getting it done.

So I’m making lists…

• For what Boo needs for YMCA camp
• Of the food and drinks we’re making for this weekend’s party and the groceries we’ll need
• Of the posts I need to write for the people who are crazy enough to pay me to write stuff
• Of the things I need to do for work
• Of the final steps for my grad school application

And then, it hits me.

I’ve been tagged.

Normally, I’m not much of a meme kind of girl, but when Red Lotus Mama asks me for something, I can’t refuse. And her well-timed Zen is probably what I need most these days. After all, she’s asked me to write about…

10 things that make me happy

1. Being creative. I love to express myself. I need to write. I need to sing. I need to talk. I need to draw, paints, sculpture, doodle, or do something creative every day. Even if it is just making a pathetic modeling clay dinosaur or two.

2. Falling asleep to head massages from Steve. Whether we’re on the couch with my head resting on his legs or nestled together in bed, he rubs my head and plays with my hair until I pass out. He never complains, he just sighs and chuckles as I head-butt his hand like a puppy wanting her ears scratched.

3. Waking up to Doodle. Nearly every morning around six, our bedroom door swings open and a little toehead blonde crawls into the middle of the bed. “I want to cuddle with you, Mommy.” Peeps the gargley, gravely, half asleep voice. How can I resist him?

4. Watching Boo learn. When I read to her, I occasionally stop to see if she’s really following along. I make her read a line or two or sound out a difficult word. Most of the time, she gets it without much effort and I am stunned at how fast she’s gone from reading short “sight words” to a reading level far above her grade. Every time a new light bulb turns on her soul illuminates and I cannot help but be a moth drawn to that beam.

5. Other bloggers. I’ve loved the folks I’ve met through these “pages.” I’ve had a chance to meet some of them and tip back a few. Great souls, all of them.

6. Great food. It can be a really elaborate meal, or simply and beautifully prepared bacon-wrapped dates. My palate loves foie gras, pucker up cupcakes, and mushroom swiss smashburgers. There is no such thing as bad candy. Great food feeds my soul.

7. Watching my kids play together. It’s normal for kids to love their siblings, but it surprises me that my two love to play with each other so much. They spent an hour today building a “campsite” under Doodle’s loft bed. The quiet was actually alarming. When we checked on them, we discovered that Boo had nearly moved into Doodle’s room. There’s rarely “turf” issues with these two, they take turns and share really well. Let’s hope it continues.

8. Concerts. I love live music. I’m happy at the symphony, at home at a punk fest, swaying with rockabilly swing. I may know the band’s whole catalog by heart, or it may be my first listen. I don’t care, just make it loud and preferably good.

9. Travel. It’s rare if I don’t have a plane ticket or a hotel reservation booked within any given two-month span. Right now I have 10 trips on the calendar over the course of the next six months. Yes, it gets taxing and tiring, but staying in one place for too long is claustrophobic for me. I need to be on the move (preferably outside of my zip code) all the time.

10. My family. The four people living under this roof are intensely in love with each other. There is support, care, discipline, respect, and patience. There are rules, guidance and rewards. At the end of the day, there’s nothing that any of us would rather do than to spend more time with the others. Yes, we all have our individual interests and needs, but the nightly regrouping around the dinner table and on the couch reminds me of how much I’m blessed.

So, that’s my list of happy things. Stay tuned, there are more lists to come.